Baseball 2014 Game Highlight

03/07/2014 - Lynn University Molloy

A seven run first inning boosted the No. 17 Wilmington University baseball team to a 10-4 non-conference victory over Molloy, snapping a three-game winless streak on its annual Florida Trip on Friday afternoon at Lynn University.

The Wildcats (6-2-1 overall) won for the first time while in Florida on Friday, using three Molloy (2-3) errors to get on the board early and often. Only six of the Wildcats’ 10 runs were charged to the Lions’ pitching staff.

Senior Josh Hampton remained hot to start the season, knocking in the Wildcats’ first two runs of the contest with a two-run double. Junior Sam Goines followed with an RBI single to score Hampton before junior Frank Samluk hit another double to add two more to the board. Freshman Brody Tennant added to the extra-base hit parade in the first, smashing an RBI triple to make it 6-0 in favor of Wilmington. Freshman Christian Adorno finished the scoring in the first, reaching on an error, scoring Tennant form third.

Starter Ray Gambone sat the Lions down in order in the second and third, getting an around-the-horn double play after walking the leadoff batter in the third.

Tennant made it two straight extra base hits in as many at-bats for the freshman, hitting a double in the bottom of the third to put runners on second and third. Two batters later, Jon Castro reached on a throwing error by Molloy, scoring both Tennant and Samluk to make it 9-0 in favor of the Wildcats.

Following another 1-2-3 inning by Gambone in the fourth, junior Josh Swirchak started the bottom half with a double. Molloy was able to get the next two batters and looked as though it was going to escape without any damage, but Goines connected with another RBI triple, bringing the Wildcats lead to 10-0.

Gambone was finally broken in the top of the sixth inning, giving up a two-out single to conceive the no-hitter. He induced an inning ending pop-up to the next batter, getting out of the slight jam.

The starter went six innings before turning it over to the bullpen. Sophomore Peter Monahan worked around two singles to lead off the seventh, picking off a runner before getting an inning ending line drive double play to keep the slate clean. Freshman Tyler Newton loaded the bases before recording a strikeout to escape a jam in the eighth to keep Molloy off the board as well.

Molloy was able to finally crack the Wildcats’ bullpen however as the Lions tacked on four runs in the top of the ninth before Wilmington’s Tim Racek closed out the win on the mound, 10-4.

Gambone struck out five batters while only allowing one hit while walking three. His six scoreless innings allowed him to pick up the win and move to 2-0 on the season.

Hampton batted 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Castro and Goines also finished with two RBIs on the afternoon while Goines and Tennant finished two hits apiece. Swirchak, Samluk, and Tennant led the team with two runs each.

The Wildcats continue their Florida Trip on Saturday, playing a single game against Adelphi at the Santaluces Sports Complex in Lantana, Fla. First pitch of the nine-inning game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.